How to Change your Lifestyle to Accommodate for Travel

It seems that everyone has that one friend who’s always planning their next big trip. These are the people who always have stories about that one time they got lost in the French alps, or somehow ended up drinking tea with the president of a small country. If the lifestyle of regular travel appeals to you, there’s no reason that you can’t become that friend who always has a story to tell and a trip to plan. It’s simply a matter of adjusting your lifestyle to fit with your travel desires. Although every person approaches travel differently, there are a few steps you can take to make travel more feasible and realistic for you.

Find a travel buddy

The benefits of a travel buddy are numerous. Having someone you know and trust by your side in a foreign country can put you at ease even when everything around you is strange and unpredictable. And, as far as planning goes, you’re more likely to actually take that big trip if someone else is planning it alongside you. So, find yourself a travel buddy — a spouse, a college buddy, a cousin, anyone whose travel habits align with yours — who can ensure that you don’t repeatedly postpone your travel plans when life gets in the way.

Although travel buddies can be incredible, keep in mind that solo travel has its perks, too. But, even once you have a travel buddy, you can always opt to make some trips solo, or to take a few days on every trip for solo excursions.

Spend (and save) your money intentionally

If you’re serious about travel but don’t have a lot of disposable income, there are ways that you can adjust your at-home lifestyle to allow for regular and extensive travel. However, it isn’t always easy. If you want to be a regular traveler, it may mean that you can’t live the same way that your non-traveling friends do, spending money recklessly or on things that you don’t consider as important. One way to start spending your money intentionally is to surround yourself with people who have similar goals, whether those goals are simply to save some money, or specifically to save some money to spend on travel later.

You can also make some relatively straightforward changes to save a lot of money at once. For instance, you can downsize your house and invest the money you now save into your travel fund. You can also opt to buy your vehicles used instead new — you can find used cars in Kay nearby your home, without much hassle at all. Or, you can even switch from a car to a bicycle or to public transit, particularly if you live near your friends and your workplace.

Schedule vacation time regularly and well in advance

No matter what type of job you work during your non-travel time, get into a vacation time groove. Even if you haven’t bought plane tickets or decided on your destination yet, schedule your vacation time from work well in advance. This will make sure that you do actually take that vacation, and it will allow you time to prepare for your absence so that you don’t feel compelled to check your email while you’re traveling.

In addition, try to schedule your vacations at the same time every year, so that your co-workers and supervisor know exactly what to expect. For instance, consider taking the first week of April and the third week of October off, every year. This regular schedule will make your absence more predictable and acceptable to everyone you work with, including yourself.

No matter what strategy works to get you traveling on the regular, stick with what does work. If travel is your goal, there are realistic ways to achieve that goal and make it a reality for your life.